Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Episode 2- Everything at Once
by Steel Kiba
Summary: Our new heroes immediately get into the swing of things with their new lives, and Rita Repulsa hatches a new scheme to exact revenge on the Power Rangers and level Feron Grove in one fell swoop before it is even fully rebuilt. Can our new heroes keep things together just a couple of days after the last assault? Ash, Misty, Brock, Tracey, OC Lia, Rita, and her monsters!
1. New Monster

The vile sorceress Rita Repulsa twirled her staff, pondering what had transpired the other day as she looked at the Earth from the balcony of her towering, spire-covered Moon Palace.

"Those Power Rangers…" she snarled. She turned to her chief henchman Goldar and her scientist Baboo. "They will not get in between me and what is rightfully mine!" she screamed.

"Of…of course your Evil One," Baboo said, covering his face with his four spindly hands.

"Let me go down to their city and level it to the ground!" Goldar said with a deep growl. "Then I will rip them apart, one by one!"

"This coming from the one who ran off when the battle got tough?!" Rita yelled, brandishing her scepter at him. "No. I need something that will catch those lucky brats off guard and bring them to their knees." She went to peer through her Repulsascope and saw that many of the people of Feron Grove were in the middle of repairing the damage she caused during the previous battle.

"Finster!" she cried. "Get in here!"

"Yes, empress?" Finster asked, running up to her. He arrived so fast he had to push his glasses up to his white goat-like face.

"I need a monster who can ruin all of the work these humans have done in one swift stroke," Rita ordered. "One calculated attack and the whole city is destroyed!"

"I believe you are looking for the Shrapnelhead creature my queen," Finster said. "He is capable of stealthily placing explosives in several locations and detonating them all at once, no matter how far his weapons are spread. And he is not afraid to use his talents in close combat with those Power Rangers as well."

"Perfect! Bring him to life at once!" the witch commanded.

Finster scurried to his workshop and grabbed a clay figure from his selection of monsters-to-be. He placed the figure, as well as several Putty Patroller molds, into his Monster-Matic. The gigantic oven-like device whistled and churned, culminating in a loud "bang!" as the Putties descended from the ejection port in the ceiling. Shrapnelhead came down next, a monster with a humanoid-shaped figure clad in a dark-blue cloak. His hands ended in sharp needle-like appendages and his head took the same shape, only with two piercing black eyes. His hands and head alternated in color from crystal clear to bombed-out brown.

"Shrapnelhead!" Rita said to the monster. "Go and destroy Feron Grove! Make those humans suffer for what they have done to us. Don't let anyone stand in your way, especially the Power Rangers!"

"Of course, your highness," Shrapnelhead said in an eerily calm voice. "Your new subjects won't even know what hit them. Those who catch a glimpse of me will perish."


	2. School Bells

**HI EVERYONE!**

**I know it's been forever and a day since my last update for MMPR, but that's how the writing game is. You just come up with new ideas and want to pursue those for a bit. If you've read some of my other works, my updates let you know that I actually do work in the writing, editing, and publishing fields, so other professional projects do take precedence over these fan works. I will be updating MMPR regularly from now on, so for all of you Ranger fans out there who've been reading, thanks so much for your patience and understanding.**

"Talk about gridlock traffic!"

Misty barely had enough room to speak those words, let alone attempt to navigate through a sea of teenagers. The red-haired girl wedged herself past a group of kids, getting stuck again as more people inadvertently held her in place by her backpack.

Lia smiled and pulled her new friend by her arm, freeing her and moving her to a less crowded area of the hall.

"It's like this at the start of every year," she said, adjusting her wallet chain, which had just got snagged onto one of the lockers. "You get used to it, and then the crowds thin out when everyone knows where they're going."

Lia was right. The halls in Feron Grove High School were always a mess the first couple of days. An influx of first-year students always scurried about, taking placement exams in the areas of learning they were most interested in. Aside from a basic "core" education, Feron High students took specialized classes that would set them up better for their future careers, as well as choice universities and graduate schools. Everyone had a plan when they graduated.

"So what did you choose?" Lia asked as the two made their way to a set of lockers outside one of the examination rooms.

"It was kind of tough," Misty began, opening her locker and taking out some books. "Of course, I tested for placement in their veterinary program, since it also overlaps with Pokémon care. But I'm also really interested in some of their community and psych development courses. We've travelled all over, so…"

"Want to build a sense of home and peace of mind for people," Lia finished for her, putting away her algebra book and drawing her world history one. "I gotcha."

Several freshmen barreled out of the adjacent exam room as the second bell rang; Feron Grove High was so packed it took two bells to funnel everyone to their next classes as safely as possible. Lia, Misty, and their three friends were now going into their break period.

Ash, Brock, and Tracey were the last ones to make it out, who spotted the girls and came over.

"Hey guys," Misty said. "How'd it go?"

"Not as bad as I thought," Ash said, shrugging his shoulders. "I thought that test was gonna have a lot of impossible questions."

"Same here," Brock added. "But after choosing a category, it all started to make sense."

"Veterinary?" Misty asked? Brock nodded and the two bumped fists.

"What about you two?" Lia posed as the five began to walk down the hall.

"Well, I'm torn between my two favorites, I guess," Tracey answered, adjusting his blue headband. "So I'm going to double up on studio art and computer engineering."

"All that time with Professor Oak sure put you ahead, huh?" Ash said as the group wedged themselves between a cluster of kids. Tracey rose one shoulder and said, "So, what did you go with, Ash?"

Ash sighed and put his hands in his pockets. "I went with the more general test; you know, the baseline stuff,"

"Why didn't you pick anything?" Misty questioned, her hands on her hips. "Don't you have an idea of what you want to do? You've had a while to think about it."

"Not definitely," the boy replied. "I have a couple of things, but I don't think I can commit to just one yet."

"Just do what Tracey did," Brock said. The group turned a corner to the main two-tiered atrium, where even more students and some teachers congregated.

"I'm just not sure right now," Ash answered. "It'd be easier if they had a track in superheroing."

"You got that right," Lia said cheerfully. "I just can't believe the other day was real."

While the five kept going to their various next destinations, they all heard the students talking about the same thing. It was all they were talking about:

"Did you see those weird creatures tearing up the city center on the news? Those weren't Pokémon…"

"Creatures? What about those five guys in the colored suits? They ran through those things when the police couldn't."

"So are they superheroes or government agents or what?"

"I was just a few blocks away! I saw the giant robot dinosaurs going past my house!"

The group of new heroes smiled at what they heard. It was unreal to them as well. Within minutes, the short break was coming to a close, and it was time for them to separate.

"Hey," Lia began as they all got upstairs for their next classes. "The Feron Grove Union was damaged in the battle yesterday, and a lot of the kids from here are going to help fix it up. Why don't you come along and help? I can introduce you to some people."

"Sounds great," Ash said. "We can finally check out more of the city." The others nodded in agreement.

As his four friends left for other rooms, Ash glanced out a nearby window that faced the city. In the distance, he saw several buildings torn and construction trucks speeding to work. He gritted his teeth and reached into his pocket, clenching his Power Morpher and Tyrannosaurus Coin before heading to class.


	3. Explosion

The final bell rang, and it seemed like the school building would deflate as the mass of students left its halls and stepped into the sunlight. Several teens headed on home, and many more made their way toward the Feron Grove Union, everyone's favorite hangout in the city.

Brock, Lia, Tracey, Misty, and Ash started walking the five blocks to the Union as well, talking about how the first day went.

"Man, it almost feels like home there," Tracey said, thumbing through one of his new programming manuals. "We're going to start analyzing various types of systems tomorrow, and I'm familiar with at least three."

"Same here," Brock added as the group waited at a crosswalk. "I can't wait to get familiar with all kinds of Pokémon and animals inside and out."

"Yeah. All that time studying them, and we still know so little about how they really live." Misty said.

The light changed, and the five walked across the street, going past a few stores that were being worked on by construction men. Jagged rips gave way to lumber and wires spilling out onto the street, and the edifices were riddled with other dents and dings.

The mood changed from expectant to somber in a matter of seconds for the five friends, who knew this probably wouldn't be the last time they saw that kind of damage. But nobody said a word about it.

"So… What is this Union place like, Lia?" Ash asked, trying to liven things up again.

"The best, really," Lia responded as the group turned one of the last corners to get there. "It's got everything: a gym, restaurant, places to study. They've even got karate lessons, dance lessons, just about anything!"

"Yeah… Anything…" Brock said. A group of pretty girls crossing the other side of the street caught his eye, and Misty put her hand to her face.

"Here we go again," she said, pulling Brock in the right direction despite his protests. The others laughed at the familiar scene.

The group eventually made it to their destination, a one-story brick building with plenty of people coming and going. Scaffolds blocked most of it from view as construction workers were hard at work repairing damage caused by Rita's minions.

Lia led her new friends inside, saying hi to a few people she knew along the way and introducing the other four. The teens were impressed with what they saw on the inside. Everything Lia talked about was there. A full-scale gym and workout space took up half of the area, complete with weights, punching bags, and other things one would expect. To the left was a small restaurant space, including a drink stand and some arcade games. Everything was covered in a layer of dust and drywall, though, for obvious reasons, and kids were making sure everything was in place.

The one thing that stood out to everyone was the walls. Aside from some breakage and cracks, which were being sealed by volunteers, they were covered with a myriad of symbols and painted flags.

"What are these for?" Tracey asked.

"That's one of the cool things about this place," Lia answered. "A lot of people come here from out of town and out of the Amalei region. When they're here, they can paint something that reminds them of their hometown."

"Awesome," Brock noted. "We should all do that."

"Nice job, kids," a voice said. The group turned to see someone carrying a large stack of boards under his arm talking to those working on the wall. The person, a tall black man with a short Afro and goatee, wearing a blue t-shirt and khaki shorts, walked up to Lia.

"Hey, Lia," the man said cheerfully. "You're just in time."

"You bet," the girl responded. "Oh! Guys, this is Darren. He runs the whole Union here."

"Hey all," Darren said, extending his hand to everyone. "Glad to meet you."

"Same here," Ash answered.

"Yeah," Misty added. "So, where should we get started? You guys could use a little more help."

"Well," Darren began. "We could use some help patching the rest of the roof, if you guys aren't scared of heights…"

As he spoke, the ground rumbled and the whole building shook, causing more drywall to fall, paint to slosh out of open cans, and screams to escape from some of the kids. A loud crash rang out at the same time.

"What was that?" someone asked, steadying himself on one of the restaurant counters.

"It must have been another earthquake!" a girl shouted, picking herself up after she tripped during the tremor."

"But what about that crash?" Darren inquired. He looked over to see some tools had fallen through one of the holes in the roof, but the workers above signaled they were okay.

"It's the parking garage!" one of them screamed, pointing east. "There was an explosion!"

It seemed like everyone tried to get out the doors at once, pushing past one another to see the chaos outside. An eight-story parking garage across the street towered over many of the other buildings in the area. The wall of the fifth and six floors looked like something had taken a huge bite out of it, smoke and flames pouring from the building. Car alarms blared and rubble tumbled to the ground as passersby evaded the debris.

"Oh man!" Brock exhaled, sweat starting to fall down his brow.

"What could have done that?!" Misty yelled.

Ash motioned his friends to follow him, and the group retreated to a corner behind the Feron Grove Union. Nearby police were already making their way into the garage.

"I don't know about you guys," Ash began. "but something tells me that explosion was no freak accident."

"I agree," Tracey answered. "Something feels up. It must be Rita."

"Then we better stop talking and get in there," Lia suggested.

The others nodded in agreement, but before they could reach for their Power Morphers, the teens instantly left the ground, materializing into five points of colorful light.

"Come on! Follow me!" yelled one of the officers leading the charge into the garage. "The fire department will be here soon to help!" As they climbed each floor, the odor of destruction and heat of the flames intensified. From a darkened corner on the fifth floor, Shrapnelhead saw the rescuers advancing on the scene. With a sick chuckle, he crossed his arms and vanished before they could even see him.


	4. Here and There Danger

To the far west of the city were the mountains, terrain marked by several towering cliffs and seemingly ever-flowing sandstorms. On top of one of the cliffs, there was nothing, at least to the normal naked eye. Hidden from view was a massive, sandstone, temple-like edifice with a huge open cylindrical column in the center marked with ornate designs. And five beams of light flew from the west and straight into the column.

Inside, Alpha 5 was busying himself at the Command Center's advanced computer terminals. As he moved from one to the other, the beams of light descended upon him, materializing into Ash, Misty, Brock, Tracey, and Lia.

"Ooof… That landing could have been softer…" Brock grumbled as the five staggered to get up.

"Oh… Ay yi yi…" Alpha droned, still reeling from the collision.

"Alpha!" Tracey cried, going to help him up.

"You okay, buddy?" Lia asked, brushing the robot off.

"Just a momentary rattling of my servos, dudes and dudettes," Alpha chirped.

The five Rangers chuckled, but not for long.

"Welcome back, Power Rangers," a deep voice called out.

The group turned to face Zordon, their intergalactic sage who was sealed in a time warp energy tube, the image of his large face a radiant blue.

"Zordon," Ash began, "There was a big explosion in town. Something seems up."

"Your premonition is correct, Ashton," Zordon said in a collected voice. "We already have an analysis on the Viewing Globe."

The teens turned to face the raised-up sphere in the corner, which showed a visage of the monster in question moving about town and setting off explosives, blowing apart several walls and empty cars and cackling maniacally.

"This is Shrapnelhead, Rita's newest monster and a master bomb maker," the wizard continued. "He has been setting smaller, less dangerous explosives around the city, but his most dangerous goal is to set off several large blasts that level Feron Grove in one attack."

"Where is he now?" Misty asked. "We've got to stop him!"

"Unfortunately, Shrapnelhead is not only exponentially faster than Rita's last monster, but he prefers to vanish as soon as he plants his weapons," Zordon replied.

"But what about him detonating the larger bombs?" Ash interrupted. "We have to take him out before he does."

"Wait," Tracey said, studying the villain's movements. "Notice that he isn't trying to strike any places that have a lot of people in them yet. He must be trying to distract us and split us up."

"So he can corner each of us, defeat us, and be free to set the other bombs…" Ash realized.

"That's right!" Lia exclaimed. "But how do we trap him?"

Suddenly, the Monster Alarm blared with fury, stopping Lia's train of thought and sending Alpha into crisis mode.

"The radar's picking up a squad of Putty Patrollers moving in near the warehouses at the docks!" he squeaked.

The Viewing Globe picked up the images of six gray foot soldiers ambling toward one of the open buildings. Two of them were carrying a square steel case about four feet high.

"Aw great…more trouble," Brock said. "We're going to need to split up after all."

"Maybe not," Zordon boomed. "My sensors indicate that the Putty Patrollers are carrying something with a massive amount of potential energy."

"Then they must be guarding the main explosives," Misty said. "Shrapnelhead probably didn't want to risk them fighting us."

"Correct," Zordon acknowledged. "I will teleport you to the docks at once. Secure the explosives, and then you will be able to engage Shrapnelhead. Alpha and I will continue to monitor his movements."

"Alright then. Let's move!" Ash yelled. And with that, the group dematerialized and teleported once more.


	5. Down at the Docks

Six Putty Patrollers scuttled about a maze of boxes, pulleys, and heavy equipment, directing one another in their alien rabble. Two of them placed a steel box on the ground and opened it, revealing four big diamond-shaped objects studded with black spheres; a red sphere was planted in the center of each. Shrapnelhead had instructed them to place two of those explosives in a central area of the docks and the nearby marketplace, and to guard the rest of them while he set off other bombs around Feron Grove.

"Those Power Rangers will be scrambling around trying to put out these little fires!" the monster had told his henchmen. "They'll get so tired, going in for the kill will be too easy. Then the real fireworks can begin!"

Two of the Putties took one bomb each, the objects surprisingly light, and moved to leave the empty warehouse they were working in. Not one of the workers had seen them.

At the same time, the five teens touched down in an empty area just next to that warehouse. They huddled behind a huge shipping crate as they watched Rita's minions move about.

"The other four must be inside," Ash whispered, readying himself to chase after them. "I'll take these two."

"I'll have your back," Tracey said, clapping his friend on the shoulder, Ash doing the same for him.

"Awesome," Misty said, drawing her Power Morpher and Saber-Toothed Tiger Coin. "Ready?"

"Wait," Ash cautioned, raising his hand. "Remember what Zordon said about escalating a battle. I think we should try to take care of these goons without our powers first. We can morph if things get really rough."

Misty tightened her fists and nodded. Lia and Brock did so in agreement as well.

"Just be careful with the bombs," Brock warned.

The five fighters quietly fanned out toward their targets. As Brock, Lia, and Misty crept toward the warehouse, Tracey and Ash snuck behind the two Putties going toward a manned loading area several yards away.

"Hey! Over here!" Tracey called out. The two alien beings turned around and babbled in their odd tongues. The boys took off the way they came as the enemies chased them. Meanwhile, the other three teens bolted into the warehouse.

The huge building was only illuminated by sunlight streaming through the high windows. Brock and the girls instantly saw the four remaining foot soldiers with their backs to the weapons chest. Their crimson eyes seemed to glow even brighter as they saw the intruders. Three Putty Patrollers sprinted forward, and the humans set to work.

Brock climbed atop a stack of crates, a Putty in hot pursuit. As the creep climbed up and went to strike, Brock dodged the furious fists and feet with fluid steps, almost like a dance.

"Whoa! Missed me!" Brock taunted. However, the Putty finally caught him with a stiff chop to the shoulder. Though it didn't hurt too bad, the tall young man fell down at his attacker's feet. As the Putty went to stomp him, Brock chuckled and trapped the creature's foot.

"Gotcha," he said. Brock then twisted his legs around the Putty's planted limb and tripped him to the crates. Hopping up, he kept holding its leg and swung the enemy with all his might like an Olympic hammer, sending it to the floor below.

At the same time, Misty and Lia were engaging one Putty each in combat on the warehouse floor. Though Misty landed a few good blows, including a jump front kick to the goon's midsection, she was elbowed to the ground by Lia's opponent. As Misty tried to get up, Lia turned her adversary around and hit three fast punches to its chest. As Misty's foe came after her, Lia cartwheeled out of the way and helped her friend up. The same Putty came in with an axe-like hammer fist, but Lia executed a strong rising block to deflect it, then followed up with a flooring spin side kick.

"Thanks," Misty sighed, holding her side. "Karate lessons?"

Lia smiled and brushed her blonde-tinged black hair aside. "Four days a week."

The other Putty came back with a vengeance, kicking Lia sharply in the small of her back, sending her down shouting in pain. Misty retaliated by doing the same to the assailant.

"Come and get me, ugly!" she yelled. Misty ran toward an immobile conveyor belt, egging the Putty Patroller on as Lia recovered. She grabbed onto a nearby crane hook and swung like a monkey on a vine. The Putty looked at her in amazement, right up to the point where she swung back and struck it with an outstretched leg. Misty then dropped to the belt and ran to the alien's other side as it quickly got up and assumed a fighting stance. The red-haired tomboy took to another hook and swung far back. Instead of swinging forward, she slid down again, pulled back the chain, and sent it flying. The puzzled Putty just stood there as the heavy hook crashed into its face like an uppercut, jettisoning it all the way to the floor.

"Way to go, Misty!" Brock shouted from across the room. He had just taken out his target with a knee to the guy and was about to make his way toward the guard. However, he was too late, as Rita's crony had already opened the chest and was making off toward the exit with the bombs.

"After him!" Lia shouted, and the teens were on the move to regroup.

"Whoa!" Ash exhaled, rolling out of the way just as a razor-sharp point narrowly pierced his throat.

Ash and Tracey were doing their best to confront the two Putties with the latent explosives. Unlike the Putties that the others encountered, these ones played an odd game of chase with the young men, and when they chose to attack, they tried striking with the very objects they had to protect.

Ash kipped up and grabbed the claybrain, tossing it back-first onto a pile of boards. He gripped the explosive diamond and tried to pry it from the Putty's hold. However, the boy was unable to do so as the Putty squirmed away and tried to go toward its target site. Tossing away his cap, Ash rolled in front of the being and threw a karate chop at its chest, stunning it. Ash finally yanked the bomb away from the Putty, doubled back, and launched a spin crescent kick at his opponent, falling along with it.

As Ash got up, he eyed an open rolling crate sitting right near him. Summoning more strength, he laid the bomb aside and shoved the Putty into the crate, slamming the lid.

"Bon Voyage!" he cried, pushing the crate, and his enemy, off the dock and into the water below.

As Ash fought, Tracey was dodging a flurry of kicks from his adversary near a column of bricks near another waterside edge. He dove near the tower and spotted a fisherman's open bag. Tracey reached for a spare fishing pole and flung the line around the Putty, ensnaring it in twine. The teen barely had time to smile as the cretin snapped the line by turning the thin device in its hands forward. Tracey then backed up to the bricks again, hesitating a moment before grabbing one of them.

"Hey! Catch!" he called out, tossing the brick to the Putty, who immediately dropped the bomb and caught it. Tracey jumped forward and rammed his shoulder into the Putty, sending it into the sea.

"That was too close..." Tracey said, picking up the dropped item.

"You're telling me, man," Ash added as the two regrouped.

Just then, the runaway Putty guard ran to the area, carrying the other two explosives close. Brock, Lia, and Misty were following behind. The guard made it to the center of the dock area, finding itself surrounded by all five kids. The Putty Patroller looked all around, but there was no escape. Without a single garbled word, it dropped its cargo and jumped off the platform to join its comrades.

"We got 'em all!" Lia yelled, the others cheering in triumph.

"How'd you guys get past the other Putties?" Tracey asked.

"Hey, stick together when you divide and conquer," Misty said, slapping five with Lia.

"You said it," Brock chimed in, dusting off his hands.

Suddenly, a huge crackling and resounding boom echoed from beyond the docks.

"Oh no..." Ash exhaled. And his was the only voice to not sound urgent.

"Great work, Power Rangers," a deep voice sounded in the air- the voice of Zordon. "Your teamwork and wits have aided you in recovering the explosives. Alpha and I will neutralize the devices, but as you can hear, Shrapnelhead is now aware of your work and is attacking the city more ferociously. You must engage him now."

"You got it, Zordon!" Brock answered up.

"Come on, guys," Ash commanded. "It's Morphin' Time!"

With that, Brock, Lia, Tracey, Misty, and Ash drew their Power Coins and placed them in the Power Morphers. Raising them to the sky, they called on the ethereal powers of the ancient dinosaurs.

"Mastodon!"

"Pterodactyl!"

"Triceratops!"

"Saber-Toothed Tiger!"

"Tyrannosaurus!"

Incredible energy surrounded the teens, encasing them in their black, pink, blue, yellow, and red protective suits and helmets. In an instant, the Power Rangers were teleporting again toward downtown Feron Grove.


	6. Having a Blast Downtown

The Mighty Morphin Power Rangers descended to the streets of downtown Feron Grove, where the panic and destruction from the other day never left. Police cars, fire engines, and ambulances were already on the scene and going to different parts of the square that had been attacked. Amid the fleeing citizens, burning buildings, and shattered cars was Shrapnelhead, who felled three passersby with one swing of his needlelike hand.

"Power Rangers!" the group roared, assuming different battle poses.

Shrapnelhead only took one look at the interlopers, then proceeded to pick up one of his victims, a girl of no more than ten years old, and ready his claws to pierce her chest. His attack was cut short, thankfully, by a hail of laser fire from the Rangers' Blade Blasters.

"Back off!" the Red Ranger shouted, running over to the group of civilians with his teammates. He and the Blue and Black Rangers still had their weapons drawn as Shrapnelhead rolled back.

"Are you okay?" the Pink Ranger asked the little girl. The child could barely breathe steadily, and her only breaths came out in harried sobs as she clung to the heroine. The back of her blue shirt was torn and blood was running from several cuts the monster had made.

"This wound doesn't look good, but you'll be fine," the Yellow Ranger said as she checked on an older gentleman who was unable to rise. His kneecap looked to have been shattered in the fall. "We'll get you to safety!"

"Thank you…" he rasped, crying out as Misty helped him to a vertical base.

At the same time, three police officers who were helping people funnel out of damaged buildings made their way to the Rangers and the injured people.

"Alright, just who do you all think you are? What are you doing here?" the middle officer questioned, an incredulous look in his eyes. "This is an emergency for us to handle!"

"Didn't you hear them? They're the Power Rangers…" the third victim, a lanky teenager who came over to his sister, the little girl Misty was holding. "They saved us from that thing!" He pointed a blood-soaked arm toward Shrapnelhead, who was tangling with Ash and Brock a short distance away.

"Yeah, those are the guys who helped us a couple of days ago!" another policeman spoke up. The commanding officer had a look of disbelief on his face. "I think we can trust them."

"This is so messed up…" he said. Shaking his head, he got back to emergency mode. "What do you need from us, then?"

"Get these people to a hospital!" the Yellow Ranger ordered, handing the little girl over to him.

"And be sure ambulances are ready to move," the Blue Ranger said, who ran to join the other male fighters. "This monster can appear anywhere just like that!"

The officers took the wounded citizens off the scene to continue damage control. As Misty and Lia turned around, they were met by the other three Power Rangers rolling back to them after being struck with Shrapnelhead's dagger-like blows.

"Power Rangers…" the monster chuckled. "What a stupid name. And what idiotic funeral dress you all have on!"

"Keep talking, ugly!" Brock yelled, holding his gut. "It's all you're good at!"

"You think by taking just four of my explosives that you're going to stop me?!" Shrapnelhead asked. "An amateur's mistake…" Raising his hand, he summoned a collection of small bombs from out of nowhere and hurled them at the Rangers, who barely got out of the way in time. The ground they once stood on instantly became a small crater as the bombs detonated and created a shower of flames and asphalt.

"Impressive!" the villain said, gathering more explosives. This time, the Power Rangers were ready.

"Quick, guys!" the Black Ranger cried. "Blast them out of the air!"

The five drew their Blade Blasters again and fired at the incoming weapons. The result was just as they expected, but did nothing to help them. As the lasers and bombs combusted, a wall of shrapnel and fire flew back at the heroes, sending them down in agony.

"Good try," Shrapnelhead said. "But that was stupid, even for you puny Earthlings!"

"What is with this guy?" Lia uttered, struggling to get to a vertical base. All of the Rangers were trying to pry the bits and pieces of bombs from their suits, which continued to set off tiny, painful explosions.

"Hold on," Tracey interrupted. Using his HUD, he scanned the remnants of the last attack for clues. "Those bombs have a blast radius of 15 feet and have an adhesive effect even when destroyed! It's too risky to engage his armaments this close!"

"And I love to play closely with my prey…" Shrapnelhead growled. "But there are so many more targets to take care of!" Suddenly, the monster faded into thin air without a trace.

"Hey! Where'd he go?!" Ash said as they all finally rose.

"He loves to vanish. How can we get to him?" Lia asked.

"Tracey, you were able to analyze his weapons right?" Misty inquired, the Blue Ranger nodding affirmatively. "Maybe we can track his energy movements as well."

"Already got it!" Tracey exclaimed happily. "Sending coordinates!" With his words, his HUD sent the energy imprint over to the other Rangers.

"That way!" Ash shouted, pointing to an office building that was still being evacuated. The group ran past the moving crowd and into the tower after the enemy. They ascended several staircases until they reached the fifth-floor roof. When they opened the door, they saw Shrapnelhead setting one of his dangerous devices. Before he had a chance to detonate it, the Power Rangers were on him, but only for a second as he vanished again.

"Now he's going south!" Misty announced. At that moment, Shrapnelhead's sphere-studded bomb began to pulsate.

"Look out!" Brock shouted. The five swiftly darted toward the ledge of the roof and leapt to the ground before a burst of flames erupted, breaking apart the roof of the building.

"Aw man!" the Blue Ranger breathed as the group took off again. "Now energy imprints are popping up everywhere!"

"There's no way we can defuse all of those bombs at once without taking out that monster!" The Yellow Ranger concurred.

"Wait! That's it!" the Red Ranger yelled, stopping in his tracks. "Remember that he wanted to split us up originally?"

"So he could corner us, right," the Pink Ranger answered.

"I gotcha, Ash!" the Black Ranger realized. "Let's turn the tables on him!"

"The monster's energy imprint is right near the Union," Ash said. "Keep behind me! I have a plan!"

A few moments later, the Red Ranger made it a good one hundred feet from the Feron Grove Union's entrance, when he suddenly tripped over his own feet and fell to earth.

"Augh! My ankle!" he screamed, holding his leg. A crowd of people hiding inside and behind the glass entrance doors gasped.

Almost instantaneously, Shrapnelhead appeared in his cold blue and spindly form.

"Another foolish mistake, Ranger!" the creature screeched, preparing to thrust his prickly arm forward.

"Yeah, by you!" the fallen Ranger shot back, striking his foe with a powerful rising kick from his "injured" leg.

Before the monster could counterattack, Shrapnelhead's back was met with yet another barrage of rays from the incoming Ranger's laser pistols.

"Blade Mode!" the Rangers shouted, folding up their weapons and producing the guns' sharpened dagger heads. The Blue and Pink Rangers leapt forward and sliced at Shrapnelhead, followed by Black and Yellow. Red got up and followed up the volley with three slashes of his own.

The people inside the Union cheered as the monster was seemingly felled. The Power Rangers doubled back a good distance away from the alien.

"Nice tricks, but your city's no match for my big finale!" Shrapnelhead roared, pushing himself up and readying another group of explosives. "Thirty seconds and your city is no more!" He grated his fingers and the bombs hovering above his other hand pulsed with destructive energy. All of the bombs he placed around the city were about to burst as well.

"That's more than enough time!" Lia fired back. "Phase 2?"

"You bet!" Ash shouted. "Tower Formation!"

The male Rangers stood side by side while the females backflipped onto their shoulders. The five crossed the blades of their blasters and brought forth radiant multicolored energy in the shape of three conjoined triangles surrounded by an arc of power. The Tower blast rocketed toward Rita's monster, and the resulting eruption was too much for the evildoer and his own firepower as he collapsed in a blaze of fire, shrapnel, and Ranger energy.

As the Power Rangers cheered their apparent victory, Rita Repulsa simply giggled with hideous glee from her Moon Palace.

"You're only delaying the inevitable, you insolent children!" she screeched, rearing her magic staff back. "Magic wand, make my monster grow!"


	7. Five on Five

In a matter of seconds, Rita's wand plummeted from her Moon Palace all the way to the streets of downtown Feron Grove and stuck right in the ground right next to her fallen monster. Sickly purple light crept down the staff and into the earth, splitting it open and releasing thick gas. Shrapnelhead, enveloped in the fog, snarled as he grew several stories tall, dwarfing some of the tallest buildings in the city.

"You'll never be rid of me!" Shrapnelhead boomed, beginning to stomp further into the city. The Power Rangers didn't have to think twice about what to do next.

"Let's do it! Dinozord Power!" the Power Rangers shouted, raising their multicolored, gloved hands to the sky.

Far away, the Dinozords heard the call to action, breaking free from their hiding places—Tyrannosaurus emerging from a chasm in the earth, Mastodon bursting through a glacier, Triceratops speeding across a desert, Saber-Toothed Tiger charging through a dense jungle, and Pterodactyl flying from the mouth of a volcano. Within seconds, the bestial vehicles, donning the colors of their respective pilots over their otherworldly metallic bodies, miraculously raced toward the city together from a nearby canyon.

The Power Rangers shot up to their Zords with mighty leaps, quickly getting into their cockpits.

"Ash here. Sync up!"

"This is Brock, ready to rock and roll!"

"Tracey calling in, systems ready!"

"Misty here, full speed ahead!"

"Lia reporting for duty, ready to fly!"

Shrapnelhead darted his eyes toward the oncoming threat. He stood firm and opened his arms wide.

"Rita has given me new life," the creature began. "And I shall return the favor!"

Out of nowhere, four gigantic explosives, each shaped like his sharp, blown-out head materialized right beside him. Each one had four metal, flexible, spider-like legs protruding from their sides and holding them up.

"Destroy the Power Rangers!" Shrapnelhead commanded.

"Get ready to switch to Megazord Dynamo!" the Red Ranger shouted, preparing the Tyrannosaurus to combine with its teammates. But before the Rangers could initiate the change, lightning flew from the head-bodies of Shrapnelhead's minions and toward the Dinozords, rocking them and the Rangers and causing them to stop.

"Those things are going to be too much for the Megazord on its own!" Black Ranger explained, steadying the Mastodon after the barrage.

"He's right," Pink Ranger concurred, finally regaining flight control. "And attacking these bombs all in the same place will just spell trouble when they explode."

"Then let's go with what brought us to the dance!" Red Ranger suggested.

"Right on," Blue Ranger said, eyeing two enemies. "Lia, let's take those two to the east!"

"I'm with you!" she responded.

"Brock, the two on the left!" Yellow Ranger exclaimed.

"Got it!" Brock replied.

The five Dinozords split up into two teams, with Tyrannosaurus stepping up to take on Shrapnelhead. The Red Ranger's Zord roared and charged forward, executing a picture-perfect tail whip, knocking the huge monster down, almost crushing a couple of buildings. Shrapnelhead rose instantaneously, and the Tyrannosaurus went for another tail whip, but Shrapnelhead deftly evaded the blow, swiping at the Dinozord with his many claws, bringing it to the ground.

"It'll take more than that to beat me!" Ash shouted at the monster, trying to get his mech to rise.

"And I have plenty more for you!" the creature laughed, shooting two spires from his hand toward the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord, which barely got out of the way of the explosive appendages.

To the east, the Pterodactyl and Triceratops Dinozords flew and rolled toward the neighboring canyon. The spider bombs swiftly followed suit, and one of them jumped high and wrapped itself around Lia's vehicle.

"Hey! Get off!" she cried, trying to shake the foe loose. The bomb began to glow and pulse with energy, ready to explode. Lia pulled back on the controls, executing a loop to get the bomb loose, but to no avail. Suddenly, she got the idea, and after sliding one of the control knobs back, Pterodactyl Dinozord halted high in the sky, and the spider bomb shot through the air.

"This one's mine!" Tracey called. The Triceratops Dinozord rolled on with its treadmill-like wheels and bellowed at the attacker. Tracey then activated his weapons system, and the Zord's tail craned upward, revealing a double-barreled cannon that shot several rounds of lasers at the flying enemy, vaporizing it. The Triceratops quickly turned around, kicking up swaths of sand in its wake as it faced the second lackey, which was fast approaching it.

"Power Hooks engaged!" Blue Ranger announced. The Triceratops' two sliver horns shot toward the spider bomb, anchored by large chains, and pierced the foe, causing it to pulse rapidly.

"Only five seconds left!" Lia announced after analyzing the being. "Show that thing some dino power!"

The Triceratops Dinozord reared back and threw its chains, and the enemy, up high into the air, releasing the devious insect. With a mighty screech, Pterodactyl Dinozord launched its own bolts of lightning from its wingtips, causing the thing to combust with fervor.

On the other side of the battle, Saber-Toothed Tiger Dinozord leapt into the air, clawing at one of the foes before being struck down by the other's spindly legs and bombarded with a few mini charges.

"Hang on, Misty!" Brock said, moving the Mastodon Dinozord toward the assailant. His mighty Zord bullied its way past a barrage of fire from the other spider bomb and faced his friend's attacker. The Mastodon raised its trunk high, blasting subzero Arctic air from its snout. The creature was encased in a block of ice, unable to even detonate.

"That'll make him chill out!" Misty said, moving her Zord to lunge at the fourth spider bomb again for another successful strike. As she regrouped, the Mastodon blew another sheet of icy spray at Shrapnelhead's creation, freezing it as well.

"He's down! Give him the coup de grace!" Black Ranger yelled.

Like Triceratops, Saber-Toothed Tiger moved its tail to a 45 degree angle and fired brilliant yellow bolts from its cannon, shattering the frozen monsters into shards.

"What? No!" Shrapnelhead cried as he went to attack the prone Tyrannosaurus again after it suffered another strike. Ash got back in control as the fiend was distracted, and the Tyrannosaurus Dinozord soared into the air and crashed into Shrapnelhead with a heavy dropkick.

"Great job, guys!" Red Ranger congratulated. "Let's take this guy out together!"

Before Shrapnelhead could retaliate, Pterodactyl and Saber-Toothed Tiger repelled the monster with rounds of electric plasma. As he was stunned, Mastodon, chilled him with cold wind, and the Triceratops chained him with its horns, flinging the beast into the air. Tyrannosaurus roared once more, and spewed a cyclone of flames from its jaws. The blast flew horizontally in the air and swept upward toward Shrapnelhead, disintegrating the foe on impact. With their work complete, each Dinozord let out a mighty call signifying that Earth was safe again.

The next day, the Power Rangers and their heroic exploits were all everybody talked about anywhere—at work, at school, and at the Union when the day was winding down.

"All in all, the place is looking even better!" Darren said to Brock as he and his friends just came in the room.

"We're just glad we could help out," the eldest of the five said. "Yesterday sure was crazy. Glad we got out of here and that everyone's okay."

The five secret heroes just finished patching up the roof of the center and came down to check on the rest of the place when they heard something new.

"Hey, turn it up!" one of the teens said in the background.

The afternoon news was on one of the big screen TVs near the snack bar. The chief of police was holding a press conference about the prior day's events.

"I am happy to report that though some injuries and damage were suffered during yesterday's attack," the chief began. "no life-threatening injuries were sustained, and all of the affected are expected to make full recoveries." The Power Rangers all smiled at this news.

"Outstanding," Tracey said, grinning.

"I must also extend a special thanks to the Power Rangers, the five mysterious individuals that aided us in our efforts to keep our city safe. Their valiant efforts are of the highest caliber, and though we know very little about them, I have every confidence in them that they will be here whenever Feron Grove is in a time of peril."

"Looks like you might be able to major in superheroing after all, huh?" Misty whispered to Ash, nudging his shoulder. "You did a great job leading us out there."

"We all did," Ash said happily. "You all came up with some awesome strategies and held strong. It's the team effort that won."

"Hey, you guys," Lia said, pulling her friends aside. "There's one more job you gotta do."

The five walked toward the freshly repaired mural on the far side of the Union. Ash, Misty, Brock, and Tracey took a paintbrush and drew a symbol of their hometown—a small hill for Pallet Town, a gray boulder for Pewter City, a raindrop for Cerulean City, and a palm tree for the Orange Islands. Lia even added a sun for the Amalei Region.

The Power Rangers all smiled wide when the illustrations were complete and put their hands together in the center. No matter where they came from, Feron Grove, as well as the entire Earth they now protected, was home.

**NEXT TIME ON POWER RANGERS**

Rita launches an all-out assault on the hearts and minds of the citizens of Feron Grove, literally turning up the voices of their fears and doubts with her newest monsters, Piano and Fortissimo. As the Power Rangers try to dispel this latest threat, they must also find a powerful hidden treasure and thwart King Sphinx, one of Rita's top generals and the cunning guardian of what they seek. Can our heroes overcome their own fears and stop this triple threat of terror? Find out next time on _Mighty Morphin Power Rangers!_


End file.
